Fellow scribes,
My PC was hit with a CryptoWall 3.0 ransomware infection, which encrypts all of your data -- documents, photos, etc. -- and from everything I've researched, there's no way to get your data back without paying $500 in "bitcoin" payment to cybercriminals (with no guarantee of recovery) via I2P anonymous peer to peer networks. Machines are typically infected by opening a fake UPS delivery exception notification e-mail. I have the full Webroot protection suite of software installed, and it failed to prevent the infection. I thought I was backed up with an external drive. Wrong.
So a lesson to the wise: employ the best anti-virus protection, and back up your documents/photos frequently.
As far as I'm concerned, these cybercriminals can pound sand. I'll spend the $500 on a new computer-- mine was getting tired, anyway -- and rebuild my files as best I can.
